DeadState

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano was the arch-conservative, same-sex marriage-hating Vatican ambassador to the United States who sent an anonymous invite to Kim Davis so she could meet the Pope during his D.C. visit back in September. Now, his siding up to the Rowan County clerk’s crusade may have cost him his job.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano was the arch-conservative, same-sex marriage-hating Vatican ambassador to the United States who sent an anonymous invite to Kim Davis so she could meet the Pope during his D.C. visit back in September. Now, his siding up to the Rowan County clerk’s crusade may have cost him his job.

A close friend to Pope Francis says the Pontiff was “blindsided” by the meeting, which apparently set Vigano’s replacement in motion. According to the Catholic publication America, the Pope is thinking about replacing Vigano with an advocate for immigration.

[Vigano] will be replaced by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, a French-born clergyman who is currently the [ambassador] to Mexico, Catholic magazine America reports, citing Sandro Magister, a blogger who covers the Vatican.

The Vatican is not expected to confirm the news until the Obama administration has agreed to the new nuncio’s appointment, the magazine notes, but it adds that “reliable sources” expect an official announcement before Easter, which falls on March 27 this year. Because of his experience in Mexico, Pierre may well emphasize immigration issues.

In addition to being the current ambassador to Mexico, Pierre was also ambassador to Uganda (1999-2007) and Haiti (1995-99) and is widely recognized as one of the Holy See’s most accomplished diplomats.

Although there’s still much to be done, many see this as another small step in Pope Francis’s efforts to reform the Catholic Church and its inner workings.